The present invention relates generally to mobile concrete producing machines that mix and produce concrete on site from component materials carried by the machine and, more particularly, to a loading conveyor for utilization on such machines to permit the loading of component materials used for the production of concrete into supply lines forming a part of the machine during the mobile operation thereof.
Mobile concrete mixers of the type seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,916, issued to H. M. Zimmerman, on Sept. 3, 1985, carry discrete quantities of the various materials and components used to produce concrete. Such concrete mixing units have been marketed under the trademark ZIM-MIXER and includes hoppers containing sand, a course aggregate, cement and water. These materials are combined in a desirable proportion by a metering and conveying mechanism that delivers the material into a mixing auger operable to combine the materials and produce the desired amount of concrete. Such concrete mixers are limited in the amount of concrete that can be produced on a continuous basis because of the limited supply of materials carried within the supply bins.
To permit the continuous operation of a mobile concrete production machine along a path of travel, it is necessary to replenish the supply of aggregates, as well as the other component materials, such as cement and water, within the supply bins forming a part of the machine. Furthermore, because of the large volume of concrete expected to be produced by a large continuous version of such concrete production machines, it is necessary to provide a loading conveyor that would be operable to receive whole truckloads of aggregate, both sand and course aggregate, for delivery to the appropriate supply bin. It should be desirable to use the same loading conveyor to load more than one type of aggregate. Accordingly, the conveyor must be selectively operable to deliver at least a second type of aggregate to a second supply bin. To enable the concrete production machine to operate in a continuous manner by moving along the path of travel depositing concrete rearwardly thereof, it is necessary to provide such an aggregate loading mechanism to permit receipt of component supplies for the production of concrete while the machine is in motion along its path of travel.